Terrell v. Board of Education

871 S.W.2d 20, 1993 Mo. App. LEXIS 1960, 1993 WL 525032
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 21, 1993
DocketNo. 63833
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 871 S.W.2d 20 (Terrell v. Board of Education) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Terrell v. Board of Education, 871 S.W.2d 20, 1993 Mo. App. LEXIS 1960, 1993 WL 525032 (Mo. Ct. App. 1993).

Opinion

GRIMM, Presiding Judge.

In this worker’s compensation ease, employer/Board of Education appeals a decision by the Labor and Industrial Relations Commission. Commission affirmed an administrative law judge’s (1) finding of permanent and total disability, (2) award of future medical benefits, and (3) dismissal of a claim against the Second Injury Fund (fund). We affirm.

Employer raises two points on appeal. First, it alleges commission’s award is invalid because commission consisted of only two members instead of three at the time it reviewed and entered the final award. Second, it alleges commission applied an incorrect legal standard in denying fund liability.

I. Background

On March 8, 1990, employee suffered an injury to her lungs during the scope and course of her employment. On this day, she was using “graffiti remover” in an unventilated bathroom. The label on the graffiti remover stated:

CAUTION
KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN
WARNING
FOR INDUSTRIAL, INSTITUTIONAL AND COMMERCIAL USE ONLY.
CONTAINS SODIUM OXIDE. CONTAINS ETHYLENE GLYCOL MONOBUTYL ETHER.
Use chemical safety goggles and rubber gloves while using. If swallowed, drink large amounts of water or milk. See Physician. If on skin, wash with water, if in eyes, flush with large amounts of flowing water, see physician. If inhaled, remove to an area with plenty of fresh air. If breathing has stopped, apply artificial respiration and see physician. Rinse empty container with water and discard it.

While using the graffiti remover, employee became sick and vomited. She then resumed work but became unable to breathe; she crawled out of the bathroom and sat on the hallway floor. After being helped to the basement, employee got in her car to go home. On the way home, she experienced sickness and shortness of breath.

The next day, employee was unable to return to work because of continued breathing difficulties. About 2:00 a.m. on March 10, employee was taken to a hospital by [22]*22ambulance. She was diagnosed as having “severe respiratory distress.”

At the hearing, employee presented the deposition testimony of Dr. Berg, a licensed physician. He testified that employee’s exposure to the graffiti remover resulted in “chemical pneumonitis,” “an inflammation of the lung tissue secondary to exposure to irritating chemicals.”

The commission found that the “resulting damage to the complex pulmonary system, characterized by Dr. Berg as chemical pneu-monitis, gave rise to the acute symptoms which caused the employee to collapse, suffer respiratory failure and subsequently be hospitalized.”

Before March 8, employee used the remover every day for approximately three to four months. During this time, she experienced temporary breathing problems but recovered after getting fresh air.

In addition, before March 8, employee never sought medical treatment or used any medicine for breathing difficulties. Also, employee had never lost any time from work because of the fumes and was able to perform all of her regular duties. Since the injury, employee has been unable to work.

II. Two Member Commission

For its first point, employer alleges “commission’s award is invalid because [it] consisted of only two members in contravention of the Constitution of Missouri’s requirement that the Labor and Industrial Relations Commission consist of three members.... ”

Arguably, employer’s point raises the constitutionality of § 286.010,

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Related

Medrano v. Marshall Electrical Contracting Inc.
173 S.W.3d 333 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2005)
Hogue v. Minact, Inc.
892 S.W.2d 758 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1995)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
871 S.W.2d 20, 1993 Mo. App. LEXIS 1960, 1993 WL 525032, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/terrell-v-board-of-education-moctapp-1993.